Description

This sweet Quchan reverse soumak rug dates to around 1900 and was made by a Kurdish weaver in the weft wrapping technique.

Its field design is a lattice of concentric hooked diamonds which are separated by a line of alternating white and red dots on a dark blue ground. This is a pattern frequently found in Kurdish weavings, particularly the Jaff from west Iran. A reciprocal border, sometimes referred to as a “running dog border”, in dark blue and white encloses the field. Stripes of kelim and a narrow band of brocading finish the rug at the top and bottom ends.

The colour scheme is typical of weavings from this part of northeast Iran: earthy tones of terracotta red, two shades of blue, a light turquoise green, a yellow-orange almost the colour of ochre and the off-white of undyed wool.  Undyed white wool was used for the warps, too.

The small size of this rug would suggest it was probably used as a yastik, or cushion cover.

A balisht, a long bag mostly used as a cushion, of the same design is published in Stanzer, Wilfried, Kordi. Leben, Knüpfen, Weben der Kurden Khorasans. Published on the occasion of the 15th Adil Besim Carpet Exhibition, Vienna, 1988,pp.150 – 151 in the expanded edition of 1993. This weaving is attributed to the nomads and semi-nomads of the Allah Dagh and the Shah Jehan mountains of Khorasan.

The rug is in very good condition.

£540